Wild Foxtrot Water War
by CoolGirl89 Palanantoiel
Summary: CoolGirl89 - Just what the title says... R&R please
1. Just Another Day

Chapter 1 - Just Another Day  
  
Thursday Afternoon - 3:35 PM.  
  
It was a bright August afternoon with very few clouds in the sky. 14-year old Paige Fox sat on a lawn chair enjoying the sun and reading the latest issue of Fourteen. Unfortunately, she had been a victim of her brother, Jason's schemes one too many times. Every few minutes, at the slightest sound, she would sit up, startled, expecting a water balloon or suction dart to come her way.  
  
But each time, it was just a false alarm. Settling down for what seemed to be the thousandth time that day, Paige heard cries of "Yippee" and "It's here". She sat up and saw her brother, Jason and his friend Marcus Jones, running to the mailbox. She watched as they took a large package from the mailman and ran inside. Paige suspected that something was going on, so she called on her cell phone her best friend Nicole.  
  
"Hey Nicole," Paige said after the telephone on the other end had been picked up. "I need you to come over. Yeah, they just got something in the mail. Yep, could you bring over a few things with you, I don't want to go inside. When those two come outside, we'll be ready for them."  
  
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"Come on Marcus," Jason called to his best friend as they sprinted up the stairs to his room with the big package. " I can't believe it's finally here! The Super Drencher XL2002. Now we will be unstoppable in our water games"  
  
"Yep," Marcus replied. "The latest in Drencher technology. Fully equipped with a radar that located anyone within 100 feet, a pack for carrying extra water, and super pressure pump for super drenched enemies." He recited the commercial  
  
" We spent $100 on this baby. Now who should we test it on?" Jason pondered for a moment. The same thought flashed into both of their minds.  
  
"Paige!"  
  
" I bet she won't even expect us." Marcus almost shouted in excitement.  
  
"I'll take a suction dart bazooka for now. You can have the honor." They flew down the stairs, two steps at a time talking about how they were going to get Paige so bad. But they were going to be wrong...very wrong.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
While Jason and Marcus had been assembling the Super Drencher inside, Paige and Nicole had been busy with their own plans. They had attached a trip wire right by the front and back doors, armed themselves with Super Soakers loaded with one of Paige's most deadly perfumes and set up a tent with trenches all around it as their main camp.  
  
"Good thing your parents are at that convention." Nicole stated as they waited for their prey.  
  
" Oh, you mean that 4-day writers convention? Mom decided it was better to take Dad with her and leave us here alone than to leave Dad here. Good idea to because the last time when she went to a convention, Dad flooded the house while she was gone." Paige paused for a breath then continued. "Now when Jason and his friend come out and activate the trip wire, 5 mega-sized balloons will drench them and a bell will ring, letting us know what door they came out of. Then we race over and let them have it." She patted her Super Soaker. Just then a bell rung.  
  
"It sounds like it's coming from the back door. Come on!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, after Jason and Marcus had assembled the Super Drencher XL2002, they had grab some HoHos and sat down to discuss their plans.  
  
"I say we sneak up on Paige though the woods and blast her, then run to the tree house." Marcus was saying.  
  
"I say we use plan P-51 in the Jason and Marcus plan book." Jason held up a book entitled  
  
"The Jason Fox and Marcus Jones Planbook - Only $39.99!"  
  
Marcus flipped through the book and spotted P-51 under the chapter "Ways to Annoy Your Sister". (Ironic that a girl is writing this, isn't it? ) He read it out loud.  
  
"'P-51: Buy the Super Drencher XL2002 then walk up to your sister, say ' Hi ____' and when she opens her eyes, she'll see 20 gallons of water heading her way. THEN run for your tree house, room, fort, etc., etc.' So plan P-51 it is then, Commander Jason."  
  
Marcus agreed. They grabbed a backpack and stuffed it with vital supplies like Hohos, Dr. Pepper, suction dart guns, and bottles of water for ammunition, knowing that once they soaked Paige, they would be stuck in the tree house for a long time. Little did they suspect that outside at this very moment their worst enemy was sitting in a trench, ready for the minute they came out. They were about to go outside when Jason's 16 year old brother, Peter came down from his room. He grabbed a Coke and his sunglasses then pushed his little brother aside as he opened the door.  
  
  
  
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Oooo, a cliffhanger! ^_^ Dontcha just love 'em?  
  
-- The '89 Girls 


	2. A Victory....Or is it

Chapter 2 - A Victory...Or is it?  
  
"AHHHHHHH," Peter yelled as the water balloons came splashing down on him. Paige and Nicole ran around the side of the house and stopped in suprise. Peter had tripped over the wire! Their brillent plan was ruined. Well, not quite, for Jason and Marcus, curious from all the screaming, came out of the house just in time for the last water balloon to fall on them and get them soaked. Paige and Nicole recovered from the shock first and started spraying their perfume loaded Super Soakers on Jason and Marcus. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," They yelled as the perfume sprayed all over them and completely forgeting that they had the  
  
Super Drencher in their hands, they bolted for the treehouse with Paige and Nicole chasing them. (Figure Treefort) After climbing up the rope ladder that led up to the treefort and pulling it up after them, Jason and Marcus sat, drenched and smelly, on the floor. Only then did they relise that they had the Super Drencher. "Oh man!" Marcus exclaimed. "We should've used the Super Drencher on them."  
  
"Not to worry," Jason replied to his friend's moans. "With our supplies, we can.."  
  
"You mean our spoiled supplies." Marcus interupted. Jason looked in his backpack and true to Marcus's word, the Hohos were soaked with perfume, the water was now mixed with perfume, making it useless and no one wanted to try the Dr. Pepper, just in case it had been mixed with the perfume.  
  
"Still, we have the Drencher and the dart guns, so we can plan an assult on the house and grab some food. And maybe Peter is now on our side, since Paige soaked him with the balloons. Plus...." Jason paused just for dramatic effect. The silence made Marcus nervious, but finally Jason got up from the floor and walked over to a electrical outlet.  
  
"I've always wondered why that outlet was there. We've never used it." Marcus wondered to himself. His question was about to be answered for Jason took a screwdriver and opened the outlet. To Marcus's surprise, there was a small green botton inside the outlet. Jason pressed it and a wall panel swung open, revealing packs of soda, suction dart guns, many, many bottles of water, a computer and a fridge, which when opened revealed Hoho and Twinky heaven. Seeing Marcus's mouth wide open, Jason hastened to explain. "I came across on the internet a diagram on how to make a secret panel. So I built it while you were on vacation. I took the old fridge from my garage and connected it with a power generator, which by the way, I bought pieces for it with our Slug-Man Comic Book selling money. But the point is, we are now fully stocked for a seige against Paige and Nicole. Let's E-mail Peter and hope he gets it in time."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Peter, after telling his sister to leave him alone in the future and taking a shower to wash off the perfume, went to check his e-mail. "Let's see, an e-mail from Steve. An e-mail from Mom telling me to clean my room tomorrow. Why does she send me these." Peter muttered to himself. "What's this? An e-mail from SlugMan@compunet.com. Probaly another solisitation asking for money from Jason. But the e-mail said 'Peter, we need your help in the coming battle against Paige. Can we count on it? Jason Fox, Super Genius. P.S. We'll split the money we get from Paige, 70%(Ours)-30%(Yours). ' " Peter, knowing that Paige generally had around $50 saved up for the next Nordstraums sale, decided to help Jason. So he sent a e-mail back saying he would help. Little did he know what Paige had planned. 


	3. A New Ally

Chapter 3 - A New Ally  
  
Paige was currently on her cell phone talking to a mysterious person. "So you'll be here in 15 minutes? That's fine, I have a feeling that Jason and his pal won't attack for at least another half hour. Bye." She closed the cell phone and smiled a smug grin at Nicole. "We have them beat. If Peter decides to join those two, we'll have a counter attack. Let's get a snack and a Super Soaker for our new ally."  
  
Fifteen minuetes later, a car pulled up to the Fox's house. "Bye honey," a voice called as a person got out of the car. Paige and Nicole were on the spot to meet the newcomer. "Hello Denise," Paige called. (For those of you who don't read Foxtrot, Denise is Peter's girlfriend) "Glad you could come. I'm expecting a visit from Jason anytime soon so let's get back to the main camp." They traveled back with Super Soakers in hand as they were heading though dangerous territory. Just as they thought they were safe, Nicole exclaimed, "Look out!" Flying though the air were 3 water balloons.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, while Paige and Nicole had planned their counter-attack, Peter had managed to sneak around the girls camp and make it to the treehouse. "Now listen," Jason said as he used a stick to point to a blackboard. "The enemy has set up a camp right outside the front door. They have complete access to the house, where supplies are kept. And according to our latest spying, they have acquired a new person. Gentlemen, we are in trouble. Private Peter Fox, you and Private Marcus Jones are assigned to raiding party. Go get more supplies and find out who this new person is. I have here charts of the route to the back door, including a route of the enemy's patrols. Also..."  
  
"Can we just go?" Marcus interupted.  
  
"Ok. Good luck troops." Jason called after them as they made their way toward the house by way of a dense forest.  
  
"Don't you think Jason is taking this raiding and spying stuff a little to seriously?" asked Peter as soon as they were out of hearing range. He was about to say something more but Marcus interupted him with a "SHHH" and pointed over to the main trail through woods. It was Paige, Nicole and someone else they couldn't reconize. Marcus threw 3 water balloons in a row. The balloons appairently hit one, for there was a "Oh No!". Peter was about to soak one of the girls, but a nicly aimed water balloon knocked the Soaker out of his hand. He shouted to retriet but then two jets of water appeared and hit Marcus. "AHHH!" Marcus screamed and buckled down to the ground. The mysterious figure appeared and motioned to the girls who came over and bound up and gagged Marcus then took him away. Then the head dark figure walked over to Peter. 


	4. Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own Foxtrot.  
  
Peter watched as the dark figure headed closer then as it stepped into the patch of light that shone in the dense forest, he realized it was Denise! "NOOOOOO!" he shouted.  
  
"Oh stop it Peter," Denise said. "I joined this side because Jason and Marcus are so annoying and I want to be on the winning side. So...Peter, the question is will you join?" They had arrived the main camp. Peter knew that if he said no, he would be tortured and he might never see Denise again so he decided it was a win-lose situation.  
  
"OK," He said almost immediately. "So much for dramatic effect." He thought to himself as he shook hands with Denise.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jason watched in horror as he saw on the computer screen Marcus being taken away and Peter shaking hands with the enemy. He slumped into a chair and starred at the wall. Was this how it was going to end? Was he doomed to be made a slave until his parents got home and to forfeit all his savings? No, he decided. He would go and rescue Marcus. First things first though. He dialed up a number on his cell phone and called a few friends of his from school. They would arrive any minute and create a diversion while he rescued Marcus. Suddenly he heard a thump. Looking at the computer screen, he could make out tall shadowy figures climbing up the tree. Apparently, the pounding was caused when one of the figures fell out of the tree on top of the other shadows. Jason quickly grabbed the Drencher as he did not want it to fall into enemy hands. He also grabbed a few suction dart guns, pushed them into his backpack and closed the panel. He hurringly opened a window and climbed out onto a branch with his few possessions. He was just in time, for no sooner had he closed the window, that the figures came into the fort. He reconized them as Denise, Peter and Steve, Peter's best friend. They looked around and not seeing anyone, started to search the place. Denise found a few water pistols and Steve found some Hohos then started to examine the walls. Peter looked and looked for the secret panel, but it was not there and he couldn't find a way to open it. Jason heard shouting coming from the back of the house. The three in the treefort looked outside one of the windows and in the receding light, could make out 3 people attacking the main camp. They hurried out grabbing their loot. Jason sighed in relief as Peter started climbing down the tree. There was another thump on the ground. Must have been Peter falling again, Jason decided. He only had about 15 minuetes until the batlle below was over, so he had to work really fast. Grabbing the Drencher, he filled it full of water and used the secret rope ladder at branch to climb down. Ahead and slightly to the right of him, three friends from school were battling Peter, Paige, Steve and Nicole with Super Soakers. But where was Denise? Ether she was surrounding his friends or she was guarding Marcus. Slowly and hidden from the action, Jason snuck around the camp and darted into a tent. 


	5. The Rescue

Chapter 5 - The Rescue  
  
Thursday evening, 6:15 PM  
  
Jason darted into the tent and stopped in shock, for next to Marcus was Quincy (Jason's iguana)! Quincy was in a metal bar cage with a combination lock on it. "What are you doing here, Quincy?" Jason asked. Marcus tried to say something, but Jason couldn't make it out, for Marcus still had the gag in his mouth. Jason took out the gag and Marcus managed to say, "We need to get out of here, Denise came back here after the battle started but just went out to get a drink. She'll be back any minute." Jason hurried to get the ropes off of Marcus. After untying it, Jason handed the Drencher to Marcus then grabbed Quincy's cage and a dart gun.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Jason yelled then sprang out the flap of the tent. He stopped because right in front of him, the victorious enemy were coming in the camp for the night. He ran back into the tent. "Marcus, their back. I'm going to loosely tie you up so you can get out of the ropes easily. I'm also leaving Quincy for the time being. I'll just be behind that pile of Super Soakers." Jason scrambled behind the pile and just in time, for Paige and Nicole entered the tent.  
  
"That was a great victory." Paige was saying. "Jason must have gotten his friends from school to help him. Well, they won't be helping any more."  
  
"I didn't see Jason though." Nicole commented as they started to settle down for the night. "I'll take first watch. Now that Peter took Denise home, it will be 4-4, depending where Jason is and if his little friends are still here after we gave them that soaking. Where's Steve?"  
  
"He's on patrol." And with that Paige left to go take a shower in the house. Nicole left for a minute but was soon back with a battery operated radio. After what seemed like hours to Jason and Marcus she put down her Soaker and sat with her back turned away from them. Jason quietly crept out of his hiding place, grabbed the Drencher and snuck up on Nicole. Marcus, likewise, grabbed a soaker from the pile and picked up the rope that was used to tie him up. Jason jumped onto Nicole, covered her mouth so she couldn't scream for help and said, "Not one word or you'll be eating H2O." Marcus took the rope and tied Nicole up and gagged her. Jason picked up Quincy's cage and remarked, "We'll be taking these." He pointed to the pile of Super Soakers. Marcus, got the hint and began to put all the Soakers into a sack. After they had gathered everything, Jason and Marcus crept out of the tent, but not before setting the alarm on the radio for 7:25pm. They had just reached the treehouse where they were met by the other three boys who had helped with the rescue.  
  
"You did it Jason!" one of them called. Jason was about to say something when the radio blasted on. Jason climbed into the treefort first, then looked out the window and saw Paige running out of the house to the tent and Peter and Steve coming out of the tent with Nicole. "Now the tide has turned" Jason remarked with a grin on his face. He was partly right, but the war would continue for a lot longer. 


	6. As Night Falls

Chapter 7 - As night falls  
  
Thursday night, 8:00  
  
Paige and her small band were having a meeting about what to do in the main tent. "Now that the enemy has most of our Soakers and we used most of the water balloons in the battle, we are in a really bad position." Nicole was saying.  
  
"Steve, how many now do we have?" Paige asked as she grabbed a slice of Dominoes pizza.  
  
"We used to have 20 Soakers, 100 water balloons and a few dart guns. Now we have 6 Soakers, 20 water balloons and 1 suction dart gun. Luckly, we can't run out of water due to we have the house. The enemy can. My idea is to avoid major battles and just get the enemy to run out of supplies."  
  
"That sometimes works, but what if they have raiding parties?" Peter asked then sipped some of his Coke.  
  
"1. We lock the back door and guard the front. 2. We have patrols. 3. They'll use up all their limited supplies trying to reach the house. Ether way, we'll eventually win." Steve answered. Everyone agreed that this was the best course of action and just to be safe, two people would go on patrol together at a time. Steve and Peter were to go first.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As sun was setting, Jason and Marcus sat in chairs in the second story of the treehouse and looked through a big window below at Peter and Steve getting on jackets and picking up their Super Soakers. They could hear the shouts of the boys below as they fought for the last Hoho. Jason sipped his Dr. Pepper and looked at the stars. "That was a great battle," Jason remarked.  
  
"You mean the one that the the other boys were beaten so badly." Marcus said puzzled.  
  
"No, I mean the short battle where we ambushed Nicole. Now that I think of it, we should've taken here prisoner." Jason said. "Then we could have held her for ransom." Just then two of the boys climbed the ladder up to the roof.  
  
"Hey, Jason," One of them said said. "I'm sorry I have to do this, but me and Tom have to go home. Our Moms said we have to be back by dark. Nick can stay though."  
  
"That's fine, I'm not expecting another attack until dawn." Jason told them. The two left and Marcus went down to sleep in the fort while Jason took first watch. It was starting to get cold and Jason quickly went into the fort to get his jacket. Marcus and Nick were having a confrence. "I say we go and get more amunition from the house while thier sleeping. " Nick was saying.  
  
"Let's go out and wait for Steve and Peter to pass. Then when they pass, we sneak past and climb up the tree into the bathroom." Marcus agreed.  
  
"That's fine," Jason said, surprising the two plotters. "You better take two Soakers and the walkie-talkie and hurry." With that Marcus and Nick grabbed their Soakers and climbed down. When climbing back up the ladder to the roof, Jason noticed a little flash of light when his flashlight passed a certian spot. He saw to his surprise, it was a video recorder in the treefort wall. No doubt the enemy had put it in while Marcus was captured. Also no doubt Paige was watching them and would know the minuete Jason or his band came out. Which would mean Paige and her band could come and ambush his friends. Jason had to warn Marcus of the danger! 


	7. Searching for Comrades

Chapter 8 - Searching for comrades  
  
Thusday night, 8:45 pm  
  
It was dark and now Steve and Peter were using flashlights to see where they were going. Paige was watching the boys goofing around on the video camera. "I wish I could here what they are saying," she mumbled to herself. "Too bad when Steve put the camera in, he didn't press the "Record Sound" button."  
  
"Who are you talking to?" Nicole asked as she entered the tent and set down a plate of cookies and chocolates.  
  
"I'm just talking to myself," Paige said as she picked up a double chocolate chip cookie. "I can't believe that Jason bought himself a spy video camera and left it in his room." She glanced at the monitor where they were watching the boys. "Wait a minute! Jason is coming down from the roof. Look! Marcus and that other kid are leaving the fort! Use the walkie- talkie to call Eagle 2."  
  
"Who's Eagle 2?" Nicole asked while grabbing the walkie-talkies.  
  
"Eagle 2 is Peter and Steve. Weren't you paying attention when I gave that talk about what our code-names are?" Paige demanded. "Actully forget it, I don't want to know. Just call them, we've got some ambushing to do."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jason grabbed a water balloon launcher and then noticed that Quincy was out. "Hello Quincy," Jason said in that voice you use when you talk to babies or pets. "Sorry I can't take you, but...." He just had a brillent idea! He took Quincy and put him into his coat pocket. Then he carefully climbed down the ladder to the ground. He switched on his night-vision goggles and looked around for any sight of his comrades. Seeing no trace, he said into his walkie-talkie, " Gandalf the Grey to Indiana Jones, do you copy?" There was no answer. He knew that Indiana Jones..er..Marcus would be going through the woods to the back door. He sprinted off in the direction of the woods, all the while keeping a lookout for his friends or his enemies. He had entered the woods and was careful not to make alot of noise, as that would be heard by Paige if they were in these woods. As he made his way along deeper into the woods, he tried to remember what route Marcus had mapped out before he left. Jason thought hard then remembered and he quietly made his way to the cave where he and Marcus had stashed some supplies earlier. Marcus had said he would get the extra food and suction dart guns, then go to the house. Jason was about to step into the clearing where the cave was when a hand covered his mouth and pulled him deeper into the woods. 


	8. Quincy saves the day!!

Chapter 8 - Quincy saves the day!  
  
Thursday night, 9:04pm  
  
Jason struggled, but the person who had grabbed him was quickly joined by another who tied up his hands and while the first mysterious person still covered his mouth. A flashlight was turned on beside Jason and his mysterious captor and the other person soon was carrying Jason's water balloon launcher. Jason heard a slightly familiar voice say, " I've looked everywhere for the other two, I think they ran."  
  
"No matter," another slightly familiar voice cackled. "We've got their leader." The flashlight was now close and Jason could see that Paige and Nicole had captured him. They walked for a few minutes with Jason kicking and struggling every step of the way. Jason was about to stop struggling and just walk in the hope that he could find a way of escape later when his tied up hands hit his coat pocket and something kicked back. Quincy! Jason called to Paige, "Okay, OK. I give up. Don't hurt me. I'll give you my computer money, just don't hurt me. It's in my coat pocket."  
  
Paige let go of Jason and reached into his coat pocket. She pulled up Quincy and gave a yell, "AH! AH! Get it away from me. Why is it looking at me like that?" She dropped Quincy roughly into Jason's pocket and raced around while Nicole, who seemed slightly horrified at the sight of Quincy, ran around after her. Jason quickly took this opportunity and started to escape. After a few seconds, Paige had recovered and noticed that her prisoner escaped. "After him!" she shouted and started running in the direction Jason had gone. Nicole followed with a Super Soaker. Jason heard the shout of Paige and knew that they would catch up to him because he still had his hands tied. Suddenly he tripped over a root. "Oww." He said and struggled to get up, which is no easy feat when your hands are tied up. He was just about to give up and let Paige and Nicole find him when he heard a voice coming from the right. "Jason, over here." Paige's shouts were getting closer now, so Jason squirmed to the right and, with the help of someone, scrambled under a bush into a small gorge. It was just in time, for Paige and Nicole passed them at that moment and Nicole tripped over the same root that Jason had. "Ouch, that hurt," as Paige helped her up. "We might as well give up, Jason is far away by now." And with that word they left. If Nicole had looked to the right when she had fallen down she would have seen who she was looking for. 


	9. A new plan

Chapter 9 - A New Plan  
  
Thursday night, 10:12pm  
  
The voice that had told Jason to scramble under the bush, was Marcus's. Both of them were now walking toward the edge of the woods. "So..that's what happened." Jason had been telling his friend how he had found the camera and had been captured. They jumped over a log and Marcus stopped. Jason scanned the area. They were near the edge of the woods. He wondered why but then Marcus pointed up the tree with his flashlight. Jason looked up, and in the dim light of the flashlight, he could make out the dim outline of a platform in the tree and Nick looking down at them. Suddenly, Jason and Marcus heard the crunching of leaves so they scurried up the tree and pulled up the ladder. Using the night-vision goggles, Jason could make out two figures walking in the woods. It was Peter and Steve! Marcus motioned to Nick who reached into a single cupboard and pulled out four water balloons. Nick handed Marcus and Jason two water balloons each. "On the count of three." Jason said. "One. Two. Three!!!!" To Peter and Steve sudden surprise, water balloons started raining down on them. Peter looked up and got nailed by a large purple balloon. Steve ran and hid under another tree and looked up into the tree where the balloons seemed to be coming from. He couldn't see anything in the dark except a faint glow in the middle of the tree. Steve ran out, grabbed Peter, who was crouching down on the ground, hoping not to be seen, and high-tailed it out of that section of the woods. After the older boys left, Jason and his crew congratulated themselves on a surprise attack well done. Now that he had a chance to look around him, Jason noticed that the platform had a railing around it, a single cupboard that was stocked with supplies and a telescope. "So how did you build this without my knowledge?" Jason asked after he, Marcus and Nick had laid down on the wooden floor for a good night's sleep.  
  
"Well, I did it while you were on vacation at Fun-Fun Mountain. I thought it would be handy to have another fort besides the treefort. Also we would be able to attach a bridge in between this tree and our treefort. In fact, even though you can't see but it's on the very outskirts of the woods. To build a bridge would just take a little time and a little wood."  
  
"We have about 9 hours if the enemy sleeps in until 7 o' clock," Jason said as he stood up in excitement. "And we have extra wood in the garage. I name this fort...uh...Sherwood Fort."  
  
"Wait a minute, the enemy is guarding the front and back doors." Marcus said as they started to get out papers to draw out the plan.  
  
"There is a garage door on the side that barely anyone knows about because Mom's garden is right by it and a fence is between the garden and the rest of the backyard like this." He sketched a drawing of the house. "We'll be able to get the wood after all." And they all knew that if they completed this bridge, it would bring a new side to the water fight. 


	10. A one-sided battle in the night

Chapter 10 - A one-sided battle in the night  
  
Thursday night, 11:08 PM  
  
Jason, Marcus and Nick prepared for the journey to the garage and back. First they went to the treefort, which was code-named Freedom Base. They packed a few strips of cloth for covering the wheels of the wagon and the wheelbarrow when they were heading back so it would not squeak. They each put on a dark colored hat and camouflaged their faces with grease paint. Marcus carried a water balloon launcher as Nick was to pull the wagon. Finally they were ready to go. They carefully crept past the main camp of the enemy and next to the gate that separated the backyard from Andy's (Jason's Mom) garden and the garage door. Marcus opened it quietly and went in. He was followed by the other two. Nick stayed outside while Marcus and Jason went to the door. "Let's hope it's not locked." Jason said as he turned the door handle. It opened! Jason went to go find the wagon while Marcus collected the wood. After about 15 minutes, they were ready to go. The wagon and the wheelbarrow were filled with wood and the three daring raiders traveled along to the Freedom base. The wood was carried up to the fort by a dumbwaiter that Jason had found a long time ago. Almost all the wood was up when a board fell off and made a loud noise as it hit the ground. Jason hurried up with the last board as Paige and her band stumbled out of the house and the tents wondering what in the world was going on. The minute Paige was in range, Marcus and Nick let loose a volley of water balloons, suction darts and a jet of the liquid in the canteen that smelled suspiciously like Peter's gym socks. Paige was thrown down by the force of the missals. Nicole tried to pull her out of the range of fire, but got thrown down too. Peter and Steve hurried out with Super Soakers but they were no use. Finally Jason told the boys to hold fire and called to Paige, "Are you beat. Do you surrender?" Paige was almost to weak to get up due to the force of the missles and the smell of the mysterious liquid but she managed to say, "We will never surrender!"  
  
"Then prepare to eat H2O, Dart Bazookas and water balloons." Jason ordered a few more minutes of firing then went to go finish the plans for the bridge. As he climbed up to the second story, he felt for sure he would win this little water fight. Up in the second story, he looked through binoculars at the one-sided battle. He saw Peter waving a green branch. "Wonder what that means?" He muttered to himself as he climbed down to the main floor of the fort and ordered Nick and Marcus to stop throwing water balloons. "What do you want?" he said to Peter.  
  
"We want to ask for a truce for the night. You leave us alone until 7:00am and we'll leave you alone." Peter said looking at his Commander-in- chief who was trying to be helped up by Steve. Jason ordered a more balloons thrown to keep Paige down while he thought.  
  
Jason held a quick conference with his men then called, "Why should we? We have the advantage."  
  
"Because we could get arrested for causing a disturbance at this hour plus we'll give you $5.00." Peter said then looked at his watch than at Paige, who was still being thrown down by water balloons and streams of water. Peter was being smart. He knew Jason couldn't resist an offer of $5.00. In fact he could almost hear the cash registers chi-chinging off in Jason's head.  
  
"How about this, you give us one of your people to insure that you don't attack plus give us $5.00?" Jason asked, smiling at his own wit.  
  
Peter looked at Paige and, feeling sorry for her, knowing that if he said no to their demands they would lose anyway, agreed. "Who do you want?"  
  
"You." The enemy replied. Peter suddenly remembered the threat if he betrayed Jason.  
  
"How about Nicole?" Peter suggested. Nicole looked agast. "It's the only way." He muttered to her. Nicole looked at Paige, who was to weak from the smell to get up, and Steve, who being kept away from her by the threat of the water balloons, and nodded in agreement to Peter's proposel.  
  
"Excellent!" Jason shouted. "We'll lower down a bucket and you put the $5.00 in and send Nicole up and then we will stop firing on Paige." Peter walked over to the fort and put in 5 dollars, then walked away while Nicole climbed up. After telling Marcus to tie her up in a chair in the second story, he would talk to her later, and telling Nick to guard the prisoner, Jason opened a cash register and counted the money he had stored there. After a few minutes he announced, "We have a total of $30.25. Now add Paige's $50, Peter's $50, Nicole $25 and Steve $25. That's how much we are going to charge them for losing to us. That is a grand total of $180.25! Of course Marcus will get $40 and you, Nick will get $15.00. Anyone else who joins will get $12.50 each."  
  
"Let's just continue with the bridge. It's already 11:45 PM!" Marcus said. As the three set to work on how to start the bridge, they were very happy for they knew they could now work undisturbed for 7 1/2 hours or so they thought. 


	11. Plots and Plans

Chapter 12 - Plots and Plans  
  
Friday 12:21 am  
  
Paige and the rest of her cronies met in the kitchen. "That was good acting, Paige," Steve congratulated as Paige walked into the kitchen with a diagram of the tree fort. " If I hadn't known you were faking it, I would have believed you."  
  
Paige grinned. "Thank you, thank you. Just throw money people. Unfortually, I did almost pass out from that stinky stuff." She used a spoon to get everyone's attention. Once they were all looking at him, she announced, "Ok, My..I mean..our plan is to find a way up to the treefort and climb up, thus enabling us to ambush Jason and his band. "  
  
"But what about Nicole?" Peter, who had been left in the dark about this secret plan.  
  
"Peter, Peter." Paige shook her head in dissapointment. "It was all just a plan to get Jason off guard. I knew what Jason would do if I was down. Everyone else knew about the plan. You should trust us. Nicole has a walkie-talkie with her and when she has a chance, she'll radio us and tell us a way to get in."  
  
"But wouldn't that be double-crossing?" Steve asked. He hadn't been told about how Peter was almost forced to join Paige's band. Paige looked at him disappointedly and sighed. "Steve, Steve," she scolded. "We aren't double-crossing. We are simply wanting the war to end so we are going to surprise the enemy and end this once and for all. Plus the sooner we end this, the longer we will have Marcus and Jason as our personal servants. "  
  
Steve considered this and then decided, "I'm with the plan. The only reason I'm even helping you freshmen is because Peter is and this has good pay. Remember, I want 20% of Jason and Marcus's savings."  
  
Suddenly the walkie-talkie that was sitting on the table started being staticy. A voice on the other end said, "Hawk 1 to Mother Bird over." Paige replied and waited for Nicole to answer. "In the room I am in, I can hear the boys talking. They are saying something about making a zipline to somewhere. I can't hear anything else. They must be making a zipline to the house. Here comes Jason to check on me, over and out."  
  
Paige leaned forward to the walkie-talkie and said into it. "Nicole, don't turn off the....walkie-talkie." It was too late, it was turned off. She turned to her troops and replied to their puzzled faces, "Let's just look over these plans of the treefort." Paige leaned back in her chair then started to go over the diagram of the treefort to find a way in. Suddenly the lights went off.  
  
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Jason, Marcus and Nick had had a conference and decided to make a zipline instead of a bridge. After checking on Nicole, they had taken two long, thick pieces of rope and strung them in between the two trees. Luckly, Sherwood Fort was only about 10 yards away from the Freedom Base. One rope started from the second story of Freedom Base and slanted downward toward Sherwood Fort. Next, they didn't want to waste the wood they had worked so hard to get so they built a smaller platform at the top of Sherwood Fort tree to make the starting point for the other zipline. The other rope slanted downward from a small platform at the top of the Sherwood Fort tree to the first story of the treefort. Luckily, the platform was only about 10 yards away from the Freedom Base. Now all they had to do was find something to hold onto as people slid down from treefort to platform, or visa-versa. So Marcus was trying managed to rig up something using the supplies in Freedom Base. Jason was currently planning to build a small house in the middle of Sherwood Fort. But he didn't trust Paige so he connected his computer to the electrical fuse box in his house and shut off all the lights in the house. "That should give us a few extra minutes." He thought to himself. He went over to Nick and kicked him awake. "Your shift," Jason muttered to him. Right after the money counting, Jason and Marcus had agreed that they should take half hour shifts to keep them alert. Nick had the first sleep. Jason made his way to the edge of the bridge where Marcus was hammering as silently as he could. "Keep a close watch out for Paige and her cronies and keep an eye on Nicole," he cautioned Marcus then went up to the second story and drifted asleep in one of the chairs. 


	12. The Stalling

Chapter 12 - The Stalling  
  
Friday, 1:02 AM  
  
Paige screamed when the lights went out. Steve and Peter rushed to the fuse box after finding the flashlights. When reaching the door, they yanked it open only to find 2 water balloons heading right toward them! A single name flashed into their minds, "Jason!" "He must have boobie- trapped the basement. In that case he also was the one who had shut off the power. But how did he get into the house?" Peter wondered.  
  
The dead of night was starting to get to Steve so he said, "What if Jason and his army is down there now waiting for us to come down. I'm not going to be stupid enough to walk right into a trap." Peter shone his flashlight down into the basement. Seeing nothing he started down the stairs. Suddenly, he slipped and slid down the stairs. Steve rushed down after him but slipped too and catapulted down to the bottom of the stairs where he landed on Peter. After getting up off Peter, he felt something sticky on his face and shirt. He shone his flashlight on his shirt and saw something that looked like a mix of vegetable oil and syrup. "Great," he said and slowly made his way to the fuse box and switched on the power. By then, Peter had gotten up and was looking at the stairs.  
  
"Looks like some type of oil and some maple syrup." He stated then went up the stairs, making sure to not step in the slippery mixture. Steve slowly made his way up too. But his arm hurt a little.  
  
When they had reached the kitchen, Paige angrily demanded, "What took you so long? Why are you covered with maple syrup?" Steve explained, all the while complaining his arm hurt. "It must be twisted." Paige said after looking at it. Steve said it would be better in the morning then went home to take a shower. Peter went upstairs and took a shower. When he came back, Paige grimly said, "Ok, it looks like we can't attack tonight. We don't outnumber the enemy and it seems they know about our plan, so we also lose the element of surprise. I think that the enemy has planted cameras in the house and are watching us as we speak. So let's spread out and look." Paige and her last minion spread out but couldn't find anything so Paige ordered a hours rest.  
  
"Great," Paige grmbled to herself. "Now we won't be able to rescue Nicole and plan a suprise attack with only three people and one of them a prisoner."  
  
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Jason was woken up by Marcus shaking him. " Number one, it's your shift. Number two, I think I heard something." Jason groggily shook his head, switched on his newly night vision goggles then looked out. Someone in a dark cloak was creeping toward the treehouse. Jason looked at it puzzled than decided.  
  
"Marcus, get a water balloon ready." Jason commanded in a whisper. Marcus prepared to throw the balloon the minute the word was given while Jason grabbed a tin can telephone and lowered it out of the treehouse. When the figure had advanced enough Jason let half of the tin can telephone fall. It hit the ground with a clatter. Jason held his breath, but it appeared that the enemy had not been aroused. The person slowly went to the can, held it up to his/her ear and listened to what the dwellers in the treefort had to say. 


	13. A new comrade

Chapter 14 - A new comrade  
  
Friday, 1:24 AM  
  
Jason looked outside toward the house, just to make sure that this was not a diversion that the enemy had cooked up. Seeing no one, he whispered into the tin can, "This is Commander Jason Fox speaking, who are you and what do you want?" There was a pause at the other end.  
  
"Jason, I am your faher." A whispered reply came back.  
  
"What?" Jason asked, totally mystified by this answer.  
  
"Sorry, I've been watching Star Wars to much. Anyway, I'm surprised you don't remember me. "  
  
"Why would I? I mean, you are wearing a cloak and traveling in the middle of the night."  
  
"Maybe I should give you some reminders, '97 Family Reunion. Me, you and Greg hung out in the back room of Uncle Ralph's house and watched Episode 4, 5 and 6 of Star Wars. We dressed up as charecters and shouted the dialoge we could remember. We had lightsaber wars and we ganged up on your sister and threw time bombs - a.k.a water balloons - at her. " The figure stopped talking and waited for an answer from Jason.  
  
"Oh yea, I remember! You must be Trevor! " Jason exclaimed.  
  
"I have trained you well, Jason-wan. Now will you let me in, I'm soaked! On the way in, a guy about Peter's age threw a water balloon on me. I think he thought it was someone else because he said, 'Oops, I thought you were one of Jason's friends.' " Jason let down the rope ladder and Trevor climbed up. When he reached the top, Trevor took off his Jedi robe and sat down. Marcus hurried to get a can of Coca-cola for the unexpected guest then Nick, Jason and Marcus sat down..  
  
"What are you doing here at this hour? We weren't expecting you for another week." Jason asked then there was silence as Trevor sipped his Coke.  
  
"My Mom called your family yesterday night and left a message saying that I would be coming a week earlier and would arrive sometime today."  
  
"That still doesn't explain why you came so late. I mean, it's like 1:00 in the morning. " Jason exclaimed.  
  
"The bus was late into the station and it got a flat tire on the way here. I tryed to call you, but all I got was an answering machine."  
  
"There is a good reason for that." Marcus replied then layed on his back.  
  
"Yep, you see, Paige and I are having a water war. They are in control of the house and most likely didn't hear your message. How did you know that we were in here." Jason said as he too, laid down on the floor.  
  
"I could sence your presence," Trevor grinned. "And the fact that the light was on in here and I saw kids moving in and out."  
  
"Well, sorry that no one picked you up and that you had to get beamed by a water balloon. Would you like to join us in the war against Paige and her minions?" Jason asked with a edge in his voice.  
  
Trevor consitered it then replied, "Of course I will, I'm your cousin. But what will I get in return?"  
  
"Ummm, you'll get $15.00."  
  
"Fine with me." Trevor smiled then stood up. "So what sould I do?"  
  
"Hmmm," Jason pondered. "We're done with the zip-line and I found out from my house cameras that Steve has left the house. Making us have one more person than the enemy, not including the fact that we have Nicole. Let's just keep her here, and in the morning, when Jake and Tom come back, we lauch a surprise attack on the enemy. Seeing the head count would be 6- 3, minus, of course, on person guarding Nicole." The four boys had a conference and decided that first thing tomorrow, they would battle Paige and her troops..  
  
"Let this be a day long remembered in Fox War history." Jason almost shouted but checked himself in time.  
  
"Why, do you have these wars often?" Trevor and Nick asked at the same time.  
  
"Well, we only have them every winter and summer, but still..." Jason drifted off as he thought of something but then he remembered his troops. "Now we need a plan." 


	14. A Daring Escape

Chapter 14 - An escape of a daring kind  
  
Friday, 1:43 am  
  
Jason thought for a moment then motioned to Trevor and Marcus. "Let's go intirogate the prisoner. Nick, you keep an eye out for Paige, Peter or Steve." After grabbing some useful items, he followed Marcus and Trevor up the ladder to the second floor where Nicole was being kept. Nicole didn't look a bit afriad, most likely because she thought the others were going to rescue her. Jason walked between the other boys and stopped in front of Nicole. "Hello there Nicole, or should I say, Hawk 1."  
  
Nicole gasped then managed to speak, "How did you know that was my codename?"  
  
Jason laughed than replied, "I guessed it. Not! How do you think? Actually, you don't need to know. But give me the walkie-talkie now. Chop- chop." He held out his hand and Nicole, bewildered from the event, handed the walkie-talkie over. "Now Nicole, you will tell us everything. Your fort, your weapondry, your plans and most of all, I want you to do something for me."  
  
"What? You can't do anything to me. I'm just here until 7:00 tomorrow."  
  
"I know. But until then, I can question you and, oh shall we say, make your stay miserable." Jason grinned, for Nicole suddenly looked scared. "I need you to call your friends on the walkie-talkie and tell them something and maybe I won't do anything to you." Jason waited for Nicole's answer.  
  
"Depends on what it is." Nicole tryed to read Marcus' and Trevor's expressions. Neither Trevor nor Marcus's faces had no expression what-so- ever, of neither treachery or honesty.  
  
"All I want you to do is this: Tell Paige that you are going and will meet her at the edge of the woods at 2:15."  
  
"Will that mean, you'll let me go early?"  
  
"Depends on what you'll do." Jason turned her question around. His plan was working. Weaken Nicole and get her to join him and even if she didn't the walkie-talkie call would allow him to ambush Paige.  
  
"Okay," Nicole agreed to his demands. Jason smiled and motioned to Marcus, who was there in an instant with the walkie-talkie. Nicole turned it on and spoke into it. "Hawk 1 to Mother Bird, over."  
  
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Paige was relieved when Nicole called back, but if she had known what Nicole was asking, she wouldn't have been that thrilled. After hearing what Nicole was doing, she had a feeling it was a trap. So she asked Nicole one vitale question, "Hawk 1, do you have complete control over WT,?" She would risk a chance, hoping that Nicole remembered this code, (which was, by the way, WT stands for walkie-talkie) and that Jason wouldn't figure it out until it was to late. She waited for the answer.  
  
"No, I don't." Paige slapped the table in frusteration, causing Peter to come from his room where he had been drawing out a plan. The next words from Nicole were not good. "This is Hawk 1, over and out."  
  
"What are we going to do?" Peter asked while bending over his plan.  
  
"I'm sure that meeting is a trap, so we're going to someway, somehow, rescue Nicole. Do you have any plans?" Peter almost leaped up with joy. Finally Paige wasn't just bossing him around, she was actually asking his oppinan.  
  
"I have a plan," Peter stated while pointing to the diagram of his plan he was working on. "I bet Jason will try and ambush us, so why don't we just ambush him?" Paige looked puzzled, so Peter tried to explain himself further. "While Nicole is going to meet us at the woods, why don't we just ambush her and take her back to the house?"  
  
"It's the best plan we can come up with so let's do it." For once in their lifetime, the brother and sister agreed and worked together on something. They grabbed two Super Soakers and ran to some bushes that were near where Nicole would soon pass about 30 minutes later.  
  
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"Okay, now that we have that over with, would you like anything?" Jason asked Nicole, who had been untied but was guarded in the second story room in the treefort.  
  
"I would like to go downstairs and get myself a Coke. I'm thirsty." Nicole answered, wanting to exploit the generousity of Jason.  
  
"No need for that, we can bring one up to you." Nick suddenly appeared behind Jason with a coke. He offered it to Nicole, who took it and shook it up. "You don't shake up Coke." Jason said matter-of-factly to Nicole. Nicole looked around and saw that all the boys but Nick were up here, which was perfect for her plan.  
  
"It's great for what I have in mind." Suddenly Nicole ripped open the coke lid, causing the sticky beverage to spray all over Trevor, Marcus and Jason. As quickly as she had done this deed, she was down the ladder in a flash. She felt a Super Soaker to her back, and the words, "Don't move a muscle." Nick stood right behind her. But this was Nicole's night for surprises. She turned around quickly, knocking the Super Soaker out of Nick's hand. Grabbing it with lightning speed, she pointed it at Nick while at the same time grabbing his shirt and moving toward the door of the fort. Trevor and Jason climbed down the ladder to the first floor. "If you move a step towards me, "Nicole threatened. "Your friend will be soaked to the bone." The other boys stopped in their tracks and looked at Nick hopelessly, who, in turn, looked to the other two (for Marcus was still upstairs) for help while Nicole made her way to the exit. Reaching it, she started down still holding onto her prisoner's shirt forcing Nick to climb down too. When they reached the bottom, Nicole dragged him along the path to the meeting place while the boys in Freedom Base looked at the hostige and his captor. When she was about halfway to the meeting place, two figures jumped out, each with Super Soakers pointed at her. Nicole, thinking it was Jason's friends, warned, "If you take one step closer, I'll blast you guys and your friend."  
  
"Nicole! You escaped!" One of the dark beings cried. Nicole instantly reconized Paige. She would have gone and hugged Paige for joy, but a scrirming from her captive reminded her.  
  
So she straightened up and reported, "Commander, I have here, a prisoner and information about the enemy's fort." With a motion of the hand by Paige, Peter went over to Nicole, took the prisoner and tied him up. Then all of them traveled back to the house, talking about what Nicole had learned from her captivity.  
  
When they reached the house, they locked both doors into the house, stashed Nick in a closet, leaving Peter to guard the door and with Nicole on the couch and Paige in her bed, got ready for a good night's rest.  
  
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Meanwhile, Jason was sitting in his chair, staring at the wall. "I can't believe Nicole escaped, and with Nick too. When we rescue him, he is getting paid less for his stupidity. He should have just blasted her with a Soaker. Now the enemy has an extra weapon, a captive and one of their "troops" back!  
  
"Listen, why don't you just get some sleep?" Trevor suggested. "Matter of fact, why don't we all get some sleep? That way, we'll be refreshed tomorrow. I'll keep watch." And with that, Jason opened the chair's armrest and flicked a switch that made the chair fold out into a cot. Then everyone in Freedom Base settled down for a night's sleep. 


	15. Chapter 15

A/N No offence to Backstreet Boy fans.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Friday 7:00am  
  
Jason woke up to the beeping of his computer alarm clock going, "Time to get up, Jason, Super Genius." He sat up in his chair, feeling very refreshed, and yawned. Marcus was walking around with a Dart Bazooca because, sometime during the night, he and Trevor had exchanged patrol. On the floor next to him, Trevor was sleeping. "Five hours of sleep does good for me. "He told Marcus, who jumped, not relising that Jason was awake. "What shall we have for breakfast?" Jason asked. "I don't really feel like Hohos, Twinkies or soda, but that's all we have and we can't go into the house."  
  
"Now that you're awake, I can go to the BreakFast World and get us some pancakes or french toast."  
  
"What's BreakFast World?" asked Jason.  
  
"It's on the corner of Farway and Main. It has the best pancakes and sauseges, and they are ready about 5 minutes after you order it. Let me go on their website and you can see a menu." After getting to the site, Jason studied the menu.  
  
"Ok, I'll have the Morning Glory. Only I want sausege instead of bacon."  
  
"One Morning Glory. Check." Marcus wrote down Jason's order. "Trevor, you want anything?" He asked the boy who had just sat up.  
  
"Same as Jason." Trevor returned Marcus question in a flash.  
  
"See ya guys. I'll be back in about 10 minutes." And with that word, Marcus left after making sure none of the enemy was around. He didn't have to worry for they were in the middle of having there own breakfast.  
  
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"Let's launch an attack on the treefort as soon as Steve, Denise, Ashley and Peter's friend Larry get here." Paige was saying. "By the way, how is the prisoner?"  
  
"Fine, he won't talk though." Nicole answered. "I gave him some cereal this morning."  
  
"Can you think of anymore people you know?" Paige asked.  
  
"I "know several people, but I doubt they would help us unless we offered them something." Peter drifted into silence. Suddenly he was struck with inspiration. "What about that guy - what's his name? You know him, the guy who always asks to you dances. Mortian Goldwhaith, that's it!"  
  
"No way! I'm not having him help!" Paige exclaimed, almost tipping over her bowl of cereal.  
  
"Okay then, forget I asked." Peter glanced out the window. "Look! There's Steve and Denise coming up the driveway! And there is Larry and Ashley!" Peter skidded to the door and opened it for his friend and girlfriend. " Hello, is your arm feeling better Steve?"  
  
His friend glanced out the door in the direction of the treehouse then answered, "It's feeling fine. What happened while I was gone last night?" While Peter related the previous nights activities to Denise, Steve, Ashley and Larry. That made seven people who sat down at the table to discuss plans.  
  
" Order! Order!" Paige called out over the talking. When everyone had quieted down, she continued. "We need a plan on how to get into the enemy's fort. Any ideas. But first, the General of Defence will tell us about her new plan. Nicole?"  
  
Nicole stood up, cleared her throut and began, "While I was captured, I noticed that it would be useless to beseige them, for they have alot of supplies. Instead, I have another plan. There is a giant window facing the house on the second story of Freedom Base, but if we can somehow make a zipline from the house to that window, we will be able to slide into the fort." With that, Nicole finished her speech. Everyone thought this plan over than decided it was a pretty good one, so Ashley and Larry started working on diagrams of how this thing would work while Peter, Denise and Steve gathered the materals and Nicole went to question the prisoner. Paige started planning on how she would use Jason as her personal slave.  
  
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"Ok, Nick. You have two choices," Nicole pressed the record button on the video camera. "You tell us all about your plans in front of this video camera right now, no resisting, and we won't do anything to you. Plus, we'll give you some money and a special rank in this army. If you refuse," At this she picked up a CD headset and put the headphone on Nick. "We will be forced to use drastic actions." She pressed the play botton. Nick started twiching and yowling in agony. Nicole took off the head phones. Softly, a tune came out. 'I never what to hear you say, I want it that way." 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 17 Friday 7:35  
  
Jason was preparing a plan on how to gain control of the house when he just happened to glance out the window. His jaw almost dropped open. Peter and two other teenagers were on the roof making something. He soon discovered it was a wall to keep them from falling while they worked on another project. One, he was sure, was aimed to try and get into the treefort. Tom (whose nickname was Tech) and Gary had come back, with another friend, so he held a war counsel.  
  
"Ok you guys, here's the low-down. The enemy has seven people, we have seven people. Unfortuantly, one of ours is being held captive. They are bigger, we have better weopons. They are stronger, we have brains. From what I've heard, Paige is not letting anyone else give ideas. She is the dictator, so our plans will definatly be better." Marcus raised his hand. "Yes Marcus?"  
  
"I have a person we could get. If we manage to get her onto our side, I know she has alot of friends."  
  
"Who is it?" Jason had a sick feeling who it was and he prayed and hoped the name Marcus was going to say was someone else.  
  
"Her name is....."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nicole, Steve and Paige were having a officers meeting in the kitchen. "How goes the interrogation?" Paige asked Nicole.  
  
"Not very well, he broke the headphones so we can't torture him that way. I doubt he'll give us anything new."  
  
"What we need is more people." Steve commented. Nicole nodded in agreement.  
  
Paige smiled wickedly, "What we'll do is use Jason's emotions against himself. I've know that he loves/hates a girl in his class. Maybe if we get her, he won't attack he and we'll win! "  
  
Nicole asked after a pause, "What's her name?"  
  
"Her name is.....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Somewhere, sometime, fate had decreed that these two enemies would say the name at the same time. They would both strive after her to try and recruit her. Her name?  
  
"Eileen Jacobson." Both parties said at excaclty the same time, although neither one knew it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jason was pacing in front of the blackboard, giving out his plan. "Ok, troops. Hers the plan. Marcus, Trevor, Tech, Chad and Gary will go and distract the enemy while I go get Eileen. Also, try and free Nick. Any questions?" Marcus raised his hand again.  
  
"This is all. No more plans to be announced? You aren't going to go on for a hours." Marcus and Trevor smiled.  
  
"Of course not, we need to get Eileen before the enemy thinks about her. Let's move out."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Army Picard' marched out of the treefort. Jason pulled Trevor aside. "Go up to the top level and fire a rocket labeled 'Payload Soak' at where the enemy is building something." Trevor nodded and did as he was told. Soon, Jason and his army was watching a red and white rocket sail over the heads of the enemy, who were till up on the roof, and drop 6 water balloons. Two soaked Peter, one soaked Ashley, one missed and the other....knocked down the whole contraption the enemy was constructing.  
  
Jason could see Peter looking down at him and his little band. Jason had to wait until everyone was off the roof before he could sprint away. When the angry Peter and the two others came down, Jason took off into the woods.  
  
Marcus set 'Army Picard' into battle formation. One boy would climb up on top of the treefort roof (which convenently had a rail around it) and keep a lookout for enemies and he would also launch Payload Soaks and other missles. The others would stay about 5 feet apart from one another and fire on their selected targets. Paige's army marched out of the house. The first drawn out battle had begun. 


	17. Chapter 17 The Race For Allies

Chapter 17  
  
Meanwhile, Paige had decided to send Nicole on the mission of retrieval. She was to sneak out the front door and try to get to Eileen's house as fast as she could. Nicole accepted, although in her heart she wanted to see some real action. Unfortunately, if she refused, not only would she get demoted, she would lose her place as best friend. So Nicole silently snuck out with a super soaker who was loaded with perfume and hurried on her way.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
These two messengers, headed for the same location, could not help running into one another. Nicole had left a minute earlier, but Jason was going the shorter way. About five minutes into the trip, they encountered each other. Jason had been crossing the road and Nicole had been running down it. Jason didn't see Nicole until she tried to spray him with the Super Soaker. Luckily, she missed, or Jason would have gagged from the strength of the perfume, leaving Nicole to either capture him or beat him to Eileen's house.  
  
Jason turned and they both faced each other. Each glared at the other. Anyone who watched would have thought it was a modern cowboy shoot down. Jason slowly pulled a water balloon out of the pouch he had always carried since the war started. Nicole aimed her Super Soaker. Jason was able to throw his water balloon first. Nicole tried again to shoot him, but missed because Jason was throwing a volley of water balloons and hitting her with almost every one. Jason hurried across the street and into Eileen's driveway. He was 2 yards from the door when Nicole, who was just at the driveway shouted, "Wait!" Jason stopped and looked backed, an annoyed look in his eyes. Nicole continued, "Let's make a bargain. I need to get Eileen."  
  
Jason rolled his eyes, "Yea right. I need to get Eileen too. What did you think I'd do? Say 'Sure Nicole, go and get Eileen so that way I'll lose.' Whatever. You can offer me money, but it won't work. I'll just get my money when I cream you. Why I'll pulverize you. I'll also ---"  
  
While Jason was rambling on, Nicole had gotten up and made a break for the door. Just as she was 5 feet away, he rang the doorbell. So when Eileen opened the door, was she surprised? A freshman and Jason were both on her doorstep, and both looked tired. Not only that, but the freshman was soaked. "What..can I do for you?"  
  
Jason and Nicole both looked at each other at the same time and started to talk. "Well we are in the war with Paige and -" "Paige, I and some other girls are fighting this war against the boys." "-we really needed your help." "But we need more people."  
  
"Stop!" Eileen shouted. Both stopped. "Listen, I'll join the war. But first I need to hear what's in it for me. Each of you will come in at a time and stat your case. Nicole, you are first."  
  
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While this race was going on, Marcus' army was awaiting Paige's army. Half of 'Army Picard' was armed with Super Soakers filled with the smelly stuff, while the other half was armed with dart bazookas. All had a few water balloons, which hung from a pouch on their waists.  
  
Marcus gave the order to fire and Paige's army was scattered. Ashley was sprayed with the smelly stuff and almost choked. Steve and Larry had darts stuck all over his face. Peter had been soaked by one of the Payload Missiles. Army Picard had some losses too. Paige had sprayed a perfume- loaded Super Soaker right in the face of Tech, leaving him gagging. Peter ordered retreat back to the backyard camp, which would provide fortification from the oncoming younger boys, who was slowly circling in.  
  
When all the older kids were behind the walls of the backyard camp, Marcus ordered a march toward the house, knowing that the tree house was secure, with the boy on top and the rope ladder up. As they marched, Paige's army couldn't do nothing as of yet, for Peter were still trying to get the dart's off Steve and Larry and Paige was trying to convince Ashley not to bail out. As 'Army Picard' reached the back door, they tried it and it was locked. Then they marched around to the front and tried that door. Nicole had left it unlocked when she had gone to get Eileen.  
  
Marcus left two boys outside to guard the door, while he and Trevor went inside to rescue Nick and to gather supplies. As they climbed up the stairs, a lone water balloon come from Paige's room and hit Trevor on the shoulder. Then the door was slammed. "AHHH!" Trevor exclaimed and fell to the floor. "Marcus..go.on.without....me." With that he collapsed.  
  
Marcus rolled his eyes. "Get up, it's just a water balloon." Trevor sheepishly rose. "I think that is Denise. But how she could have hit us...Wow. She must have really good hearing. Or maybe she has super powers. Like Daredevil or something. Maybe we shouldn't rescue Nick then."  
  
"Snap out of it. Superpowers are no match for the living Force." With that, the two more cautiously climbed up the stairs. Finding the door locked, they went into Jason's room, hoping to find some more materials of war. After looking for a few minutes, all they could find was a few suction darts and a slingshot.  
  
Suddenly they heard fighting downstairs. They slid down the banister and rushed outside. The two guards were being captured by Paige's army. Marcus quickly shot a giant suction dart into the mist of the army. "Not another one of these." Marcus heard Steve moan. Trevor had a Super Soaker, with which he sprayed some into Paige's army. Marcus heard gagging. But despite their efforts, Paige's army was moving closer and closer.  
  
  
  
What will happen? Who will get Eileen onto their side? Will Marcus and Trevor be able to fight their way out? CLIFFHANGER. Man, don't you just love those? 


	18. Chapter 18

Marcus did some quick thinking. Right now, Paige had five, if you included Denise, who was still upstairs, her command. He only had one. The good news was that two of Paige's 'army' was caught up in trying to restrain the two guards he had posted and Steve was busy trying to get the giant suction dart off his face. He needed to rescue the two guards. If he didn't, 'Army Picard' would be outnumbered, even if Jason came back with Eileen.  
  
Marcus racked his brain for a solution. It hit him just as Paige and Peter were less than 2 yards away. He grabbed Trevor's arm and bolted into the house. He quickly closed the door and, leaving Trevor to keep it closed for a minute, grabbed two chairs and put them against the door, in order to give the two a little more time.  
  
"Trevor, I have a plan." He said and dashed up the stairs.  
  
Trevor looked confused, "Why not just lock it." He shouted up the stairs.  
  
"Because, that's not part of my plan." Marcus yelled back. Trevor shrugged. As the chairs started to skid because of the opening door, Trevor decided to trust Marcus. He ran up the stairs and into Paige's room.  
  
As soon as he entered the room, he heard the sounds of chairs being pushed across the floor and Paige yelling, "They must've run upstairs." Marcus quickly slammed the door (on purpose) and locked it.  
  
"Hello there." Marcus heard a voice behind him say. He spun around, only to come face-to-face with Denise, who was holding a perfume-loaded super soaker to Nick's head. "One step closer and your friend gets it." Marcus slowly took a water balloon out of his pouch, knowing how well Denise's hearing was. He took aim, already hearing Paige running up the stairs.  
  
He fired and hit her on the head. Knowing the dire situation Nick was in, Trevor speedily took a water balloon out and threw it. It hit the super soaker, knocking it out of Denise's hand. Marcus dived in order to grab it. Then, menacingly, he ordered Trevor to untie Nick and Denise to sit down in the chair while he tied her up. Everything was going to plan.  
  
After that, he gave the water balloon pouch to Nick, took the Super Soaker and started climbing out the window and down a tree, instructing the others to do the same. Once on the ground, they sneaked around the side of the house and surprised the two people left in charge of watching the two guards. A short battle broke out, but Marcus and his small band were the victors.  
  
As he untied his friends, gave them their weapons and was starting to tie up Ashley when Paige, Peter, Steve and Denise came out. Apparently, they had rescued Denise and she had told them that the younger boys were outside. Great. This is a problem. Marcus thought. The older kids started forcing the younger ones to back up. I hope Jason comes back soon with Eileen. Marcus thought and, as if an answer to his prayer, Jason, Eileen and a few other girls were seen running up the driveway, weapons in hand.  
  
Paige, seeing the hope in Marcus' eyes, turned around and saw them too. "Retreat!" She shouted, knowing that if she didn't now, her army would be surrounded.  
  
  
  
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We must go back now and see how Jason managed to persuade Eileen to be on his side. After both of the messengers had delivered their cases, Eileen called some of her friends, knowing that she was going to join one side. When her friends arrived she called Jason and Nicole, who were having a word war, inside.  
  
"I have decided to choose...Jason's side." Jason leapt up and did a little victory dance. As he did it, Eileen came over and kissed him on the cheek. Jason turned a bright red and almost fainted from shock while Nicole started laughing uncontrollably.  
  
"Let's go then." said Jason after regaining composer. By this time, Nicole had stopped laughing and had run out. Jason grabbed his pouch and ran after her, with Eileen and her friends close behind. Nicole made it to the woods in time and Jason stopped following her. Quickly then, Jason turned toward the house and hurried, anxious to find out how the battle had commenced.  
  
They had arrived in time to see Marcus and the rest of his army being surrounded. But with their arrival, they had won the battle!  
  
To be continue.. 


End file.
